Fort McMurray restaurant pulls B.C. wines over pipeline controversy

The owner of a restaurant in Fort McMurray says she has removed B.C. VQA wine from her wine list in the wake of the B.C. government’s latest move involving the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

Karen Collins, owner of Asti Trattoria Italiana, said in a post to social media that the decision supports our “our oilsands workers and our oil industry,” and hopes other Alberta restaurants follow suit.

On Tuesday, the province announced a proposal to ban increased shipments of diluted bitumen off the coast until it can determine that shippers are prepared and able to properly clean up a spill.

Collins’ post has provoked conversation about how B.C.’s wine industry supports the province’s economy in similar ways to the oil sands.

“When an industry is hit it lobbies it’s own government – hopefully the wineries and other industries will feel some hurt and impact just as we do and lobby their government to make changes,” Collins said to one comment.

“It’s sad that Canadian provinces cannot find a way of supporting each other.”